Can we go a week without a designer collaborating with mass market retailer for a limited time only collaboration? It seems not. Between Payless, H&M, Target, Kohl’s, and J.C Penney collaborations – and all the hype, speculations, leaked photographs, and celeb spottings that go along with them – rare is the day where we’re not discussing the likes of Zac Posen for Target.
No matter how high or low your budget, however, there’s no denying that mixing high and low has become the way to dress, and these designer collaborations often provide a great way to do so. Personally, I find Target to consistently be on top when it comes to quality, but H&M definitely puts up a good fight by drawing in some of the fashion world’s biggest names. Here’s a list of the top 10 designer mass market collaborations.
1. Alexander McQueen for Target: The patterned, draped, black and gray mini McQueen designed was possible the best high-meets-low creation ever.
2. Karl Lagerfeld for H&M: Lagerfeld is such a visionary. He added BlackBerry pockets to handbags, and created designer headphones and ankle pockets before anyone else even thought of such things, so it’s no surprised that he had the vision to team-up with H&M before it was the cool thing to do.
3. Luella Bartley for Target: The line had a handful of staple blazers with colorful exposed seams and cutesy cherry-lined insides.
4. Behnaz Sarafpour for Target: The designer came up with chunky crystal embellished headbands before any of us even knew who Blair Walforf was.
5. Stella McCartney for GAP: Any line that is so well designed it inspired grown women to fit into children’s clothes has got to make it on a top 10 list.
6. OlsenBoye for Kohl’s: Ditto for the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen-designed line.
7. Stella McCartney for H&M: When it comes to quality and design, McCartney has delivered the best H&M collection to date.
8. Christian Siriano for Payless: His most recent shoe collection for the mass retailer bears a welcome resemblance to the shoes he showed on the runway, making them a winner in my book.
9. Liberty of London for Target: This was heaven for anyone into colorful prints.
10. Sonia Rykiel for H&M: The quality may not be great, but the designer’s spirit resonates through every piece in the collection.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
